Massive spiders invade properties for intercourse – however free merchandise discovered on road places them off

Record numbers expected after heatwave leads to an explosion of numbers of spiders looking to mate in UK homes in autumn

A scientist has said massive male spiders are about to invade UK homes as they look to mate with females. Appearing on Good Morning Britain on ITV today entomologist and insect behaviour specialist Dee Patel explained people can either use a 35p ingredient found in most kitchens – or something which can be found on streets across the UK for free at this time of year – conkers.

Mr Patel explained that the very hot summer means there will be a plague of spiders this autumn – because they are cold blooded and it helps them breed more quickly – meaning there will be a lot more. He said: “We’ve had one of the hottest summers on record in Britain, as you said, and this has actually speeded up their development cycles. Spiders are ectotherms, so they have cold blood and the warmth really affects the way they develop. So, what we’re seeing is many more of them, quicker successions of generations, and just I love spiders, obviously, so I’m quite happy to see them.

“These things are just trying to live like the rest of us. And actually, they’re coming into our homes. Not because they’re interested in us. They don’t care about us. They’re coming in and it’s only the males coming in because they’re looking for love. They’re just looking for a partner. And I mean, is that such a bad thing in this in this world? You know, a bit of love. That’s all they want.”

He said the females actually live inside all year – and they perform a really valuable job that most homeowners don’t appreciate – dealing with lots of pests.

Host Kate Garraway asked: “Why are the women inside and the men out?” He replied: “Well, you may not like to know this, but the women, the female spiders, they live within your homes all year. They’re the ones stationed underneath the couch in a little corner, just minding their own business, you know, just being themselves.

“And they’re a free-living cleaner because what they do is they get rid of all the little mites and things like that, which cause skin allergies or respiratory conditions. So, they’re just working for free for you, just being there, just supporting you. And then the males, they’ve been out all summer, they come in September time and they’re looking for a mate.”

Of course, not all householders in the UK are delighted to see the massive interlopers, and there are methods to stop them which don’t cause them any harm, including using conkers. Mr Patel said: “The key thing to remember is they don’t they don’t harm us. They don’t spread, you know, germs.

“They don’t spread diseases. is and they don’t usually bite. So these things can really help you to get through house bite. So you’ve got conkers. This is anecdotal. We don’t have scientific evidence, but conkers are sworn by tried and tested. You’ve got to put them with the eye facing upwards and replenish them regularly on your window sills.

“On your window sills, corners of your rooms, there’s a chemical that comes out. There’s an oil that they leak, and that can actually stop them. Then we’ve got white vinegar. They often have this in many kitchens, but this will stop lots of things. It stops ants. It stops nearly every insect. You just spray it around the door frames.

“You can put it into a misting bottle like this. Peppermint oil is a great one. A spoonful in a misting bottle. Spray the corners of your doors, window seals, things like that. And you can also get these repellers here which are electronic devices.”